Lock, particularly for locking the steering spindle of a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A lock includes a locking element ( 4 ) and a control element ( 35 ) rotated to-and-fro by a drive ( 34 ) to shift the locking element ( 4 ) to-and-fro by means of a drive element ( 10 ) between a locked and an unlocked position. The drive element ( 10 ) and the control element ( 35 ) cooperate in such manner by means of a cross-pin ( 41 ) axially displaceable in a cross-borehole ( 42 ) of the inner drive element ( 10 ) and two helically running inner grooves ( 43, 44 ) and two adjoining coplanar intermediate surfaces ( 45, 46 ) and two subsequent coplanar end faces ( 47, 48 ) of the outer control element ( 35 ) which extend perpendicularly to the control element&#39;s axis of rotation ( 8 ) and which are bounded by two sidewalls ( 49, 50 ) that the drive element ( 10 )—when the control element ( 35 ) is rotated in the direction wherein the cross-pin ( 41 ) runs in the grooves ( 43, 44 ) toward the intermediate surfaces ( 45, 46 ) and then on two bevels ( 52, 53 ) toward the end faces ( 47, 48 )—is correspondingly axially displaced in order that, following the transition of the cross-pin ( 41 ) onto the end faces ( 47, 48 ), the drive element ( 10 ) shall essentially be stationary and remain in the axial position it has reached until the control element ( 35 ) is rotated in the opposite direction and the cross-pin ( 41 ) runs on the bevels ( 52, 53 ) away from the end faces ( 47, 48 ) and in the grooves ( 43, 44 ) away from the intermediate surfaces ( 45, 46 ), so that the drive element ( 10 ) shifts in the opposite direction. While the cross-pin ( 47 ) runs on the bevels ( 52, 53 ) from the intermediate surfaces ( 45, 46 ) to the end faces ( 47, 48 ), the drive element ( 10 ) may act on a switch ( 59 ) to generate a signal indicating the locking element&#39;s position.

BACKGROUND AND RELATED ART

[0001] The present invention relates to a lock, in particular a lock forlocking a motor-vehicle steering column, said lock being fitted with alocking element which is displaceable to-and-fro between a locked and anunlocked position, and with a control element that can be rotatedto-and-fro by a drive to axially displace said locking element or adrive element cooperating with the locking element in either direction,said control element enclosing the locking element or its drive elementand furthermore:

[0002] (a) being fitted with two inner bevels or two inner helicalgrooves that cooperate with two protrusions which extend radially andmutually diametrically opposite with respect to the control element'saxis of rotation and which are part of the locking element or its driveelement, said bevels or grooves each merging at the end that correspondsto the unlocked position of the locking element into an end face locatedin a plane extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation of thecontrol element, or

[0003] (b) comprising an inside thread that cooperates with a protrusionof the locking element or its drive element which extends radiallyrelative to the axis of rotation of the control element and said insidethread merging at the end corresponding with the locking element'sunlocked position into an end face located in a plane extendingperpendicular to the control element's axis of rotation.

[0004] The state of the art includes a lock, in particular for locking amotor vehicle steering column, which is fitted with a locking elementdisplaceable to-and-fro between a locked and an unlocked position andfurthermore with a control element rotatable to-and-fro by a drive foraxially displacing in either direction the locking element or a driveelement cooperating with the locking element, wherein special measuresare taken in order to assure that the locking element each time movesprecisely into the locked or the unlocked position, but no farther, evenif the control element should continue rotating, that is, even if thedrive does not stop at once when the locking element has reached thelocked or the unlocked position. For that purpose the locking element orits drive element and the control element are arranged coaxially, andthe locking element or its drive element and the control elementcooperate by means of:

[0005] two radial protrusions which are configured diametricallyopposite each other relative to the control element's axis of rotationand which each are spring loaded and displaceable in a directionperpendicular to the control element's axis of rotation, and

[0006] two bevels as well as two end faces located in a common planewhich extends perpendicular to the control element's axis of rotation,each of said end faces adjoining a respective bevel and extending as faras beside the other bevel,

[0007] in a manner such that the inner locking element or its innerdrive element, upon rotation of the outer control element in thatdirection in which the protrusions run on the bevels to the end faces,is axially displaced correspondingly and stops moving when theprotrusions pass from the bevels onto the end faces and remains in suchaxial position until the control element is rotated in the oppositedirection, whereupon the protrusions run on the bevels away from the endfaces, with the locking element or its drive element moving axially inthe opposite direction. The protrusions may be provided on the lockingelement or its drive element, the bevels and the end faces may beprovided on the control element and the protrusions may be in the formof two pins located in a common transverse borehole of the lockingelement or its drive element and loaded by a common helical compressionspring (DE 44 36 326 C1).

[0008] Moreover, a lock already has been proposed, in particular to locka motor-vehicle steering column, which is fitted with a locking elementdisplaceable to-and-fro between a locked and an unlocked position, andfurther with a control element that is rotatable to-and-fro by means ofa drive to axially displace the locking element or a drive elementcooperating with the locking element in either direction, the controlelement enclosing the locking element or its drive element andcomprising two inner bevels cooperating with two radial protrusions ofthe locking element or of its drive element which are diametricallyopposed to each other relative to the control element's axis ofrotation, each bevel merging at each end into an end face located in aplane extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the controlelement, wherein:

[0009] one bevel of the control element and its two end faces are offsetin the direction of the control element's axis of rotation relative tothe other control element's bevel and its two end faces, and the onebevel and its two end faces are located at a greater distance from thecontrol element's axis of rotation than the other bevel and its two endfaces, and

[0010] the two protrusions of the locking element or of its driveelement are mounted in a stationary manner, such that the protrusionwith which the control element's bevel that is farther from the controlelement's axis of rotation cooperates and with which its two end facescooperate is offset by a corresponding distance in the direction of theaxis of rotation of the control element relative to that protrusion withwhich the other bevel of the control element and its two end facescooperate and is correspondingly longer.

[0011] The control element may be provided at the end of each end faceremote from the associated bevel with a stop surface for that protrusionof the locking element or its drive element with which the end facecooperates. The protrusions of the locking element or its drive elementeach may consist of a pin force-fitted in a borehole of the lockingelement or its drive element (DE 101 09 609.7).

[0012] A further lock already has been proposed, particularly forlocking a motor-vehicle steering column, which is fitted with a lockingelement displaceable to-and-fro between a locked and an unlockedposition and further comprising a control element rotatable to-and-froby a drive for axially moving the locking element or a drive elementcooperating with it in either direction, the locking element or itsdrive element and the control element being arranged coaxially andcooperating by means of:

[0013] a cross-pin resting in an axially displaceable manner in across-borehole of the inner locking element or its inner drive element,and

[0014] two helical inner grooves and a planar end face of the outercontrol element, said end face extending perpendicularly to the controlelement's axis of rotation and adjoining the two grooves, and beingbounded by a sidewall running from the bottom of one groove at adistance past the other groove along the outer side thereof to thelocking element or its drive element,

[0015] in such a way that the locking element or its drive element uponrotation of the control element in that direction where the twocross-pin ends projecting from the cross-borehole of the locking elementor its drive element run in the grooves to the control element's endface is correspondingly displaced axially in order that when thecross-pin ends pass from the grooves onto the end face, the lockingelement or its drive element remains stationary and remains in thisaxial position until the control element is rotated in the oppositedirection and the cross-pin ends move inside the grooves away from theend face, so that the locking element or its drive element moves axiallyin the opposite direction. The control element's grooves may merge atthe ends located away from the first end face into a second controlelement's end face which extends perpendicularly to the controlelement's axis of rotation and is bounded by a sidewall running from thebottom of one groove at a distance from the other groove and past italong its outer side to the locking element or its drive element, as aresult of which, the locking element or its drive element, when thecontrol element is rotated in that direction in which the two ends ofthe cross-pin projecting from the cross-borehole of the locking elementor its drive element run in the grooves from the first end face to thesecond end face of the control element, after the corresponding axialdisplacement of the locking element or its drive element, when thecross-pin ends pass from the grooves onto the second end face, stopsmoving and remains in this axial position until the control element isrotated in the opposite direction, whereupon the cross-pin ends run inthe grooves from the second end face to the first end face, so that thelocking element or its drive element is axially displaced in theopposite direction (DE 100 30 688.8).

[0016] Lastly a lock is known particularly for locking a motor-vehiclesteering column which comprises a locking element displaceableto-and-fro between a locked and an unlocked position, and further acontrol element rotatable to-and-fro by a drive to axially displace thelocking element in either direction, the control element enclosing thelocking element and being fitted with an inside thread which cooperateswith a locking-element's protrusion extending radially relative to theaxis of rotation of the control element and which inside thread mergesat each of its two ends into an end face situated in a plane extendingperpendicular to the control element's axis of rotation. The lockingelement's protrusion is in the form of a cross-pin displaceable axiallyin a cross-borehole of the locking element. Each end face of the controlelement's inside thread is bounded by a sidewall configured in such away that after the cross-pins transition onto the end face due to thecontrol element's rotation in the corresponding direction, the cross-pinremains on this end face, even if the control element is further rotatedin the same direction, and leaves this end face and enters the insidethread by an end projecting from the locking element only when thecontrol element is rotated in the opposite direction (DE 199 61 975 C1).

[0017] The objective of the present invention is to create a lock of thekind discussed at the beginning, the operation of which is furthermoreimproved.

[0018] This problem is solved by the features set forth in thecharacterizing portion of claim 1. The remainder claims concernadvantageous embodiments of the lock of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] An embodiment of the lock of the invention is described belowwith reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a topview of a lock according to the invention lookingin the direction of the arrow I of FIG. 2 with the lock housing coverremoved,

[0021]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section view taken along line II-II ofFIG. 1,

[0022]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view in perspective of thecontrol element taken along line III-III in FIG. 1 and also shows thecross-pin of the drive element,

[0023]FIG. 4 corresponds with the topview of FIG. 1, with the controlelement assuming another rotational position,

[0024]FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view taken along line V-V of FIG.4,

[0025]FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section view in perspective of thecontrol element taken along line V-V of FIG. 4 and also showing thecross-pin of the drive element,

[0026]FIG. 7 corresponds with the topview of FIGS. 1 and 4, with thecontrol element assuming another rotational position,

[0027]FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section view taken along line VIII-VIIIof FIG. 7,

[0028]FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section view in perspective of thecontrol element taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7,

[0029] FIGS. 10-16 are topviews of the control element correspondingwith FIGS. 1, 4 and 7, at various rotational positions relative to thecross-pin of the drive element; and

[0030]FIG. 17 is a topview of the side facing the locking element of avariation of the control element in the rotational position of FIG. 10relative to the cross-pin of the drive element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The lock shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 comprises a housing 2closed by a cover 1 and is used to lock a motor-vehicle steering column3, shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, by means of a locking element 4 whichcooperates with a locking bush 5 affixed to the steering column 3. Thesteering column 3 and the locking bush 5 are enclosed by a tubularcasing 6 to which is affixed the housing 2. The locking element 4 is inthe form a rectangular cross-section bolt and rests in an axiallydisplaceable manner in a bore 7 of corresponding cross-section in thehousing 2, the longitudinal axis 8 of said bore 7 orthogonallyintersecting the longitudinal axis 9 of the steering column 3.

[0032] The locking element 4 may be displaced by a drive element 10 froma locked position where it has entered, by its end 11 away from thedrive element 10, one of a plurality of locking apertures 12 of thelocking bush 5, so that the steering column 3 is irrotational, through afirst unlocked position shown in FIG. 5 to a second unlocked positionshown in FIGS. 2 and 8 and then back into the locked position. In thefirst and second unlocked positions, the end 11 of locking element 4engages none of the locking apertures 12 of the locking bush 5 and thusreleases the steering column 3.

[0033] The drive element 10 is configured as a cylindrical bolt andrests in an axially displaceable manner in a cylindrical borehole 13 ofthe housing 2, said borehole 13 running coaxially with the bore 7receiving the locking element 4. Opposite the left narrow lateralsurface 14 of the locking element 4 shown in FIG. 8, a longitudinalgroove 15 formed in the housing 2 opens into the borehole 13, andopposite the right narrow lateral surface 16 of the locking element 4shown in FIG. 8 the borehole 13 communicates with a longitudinal slot 17provided in the housing 2. An external, radial boss 18 of the driveelement 10 enters the longitudinal groove 15 and the longitudinal slot17 receives an external, radial protrusion 19 of the drive element 10.

[0034] The end 20 of the locking element 4 located away from thesteering column 3 is received in a blind hole 21 provided in the driveelement 10 and having a cross-section which corresponds to therectangular cross-section of the locking element 4. The end 20 is fittedwith a cross-pin 22 running orthogonally to the two wide side walls 23,24 of the locking element 4, with the two ends 25, 26 of said cross-pinprojecting from the locking element 4 and engaging two lateral elongatedslots 27, 28 of the drive element 10. A helical compression spring 31 ismounted between the end 20 of the locking element 4 and an annularrecess 29 in the bottom 30 of the blind hole 21 of the drive element 10and presses the two projecting ends 25, 26 of the cross-pin 22 of thelocking element 4 against the ends 32, 33 of the two elongated slots 27,28 of the drive element 10 that are closest to the steering column 3.The locking element 4 is able to enter the blind hole 21 of the driveelement 10 against the opposition of the helical compression spring 31if, during the motion of the locking element 4 caused by the driveelement 10 towards the locked position, no locking aperture 12 of thelocking bush 5 seated on the steering column 3 is aligned to receive thefree end 11 of said locking element.

[0035] A control element 35 which can be rotated to-and-fro by means ofa reversible electric motor 34 is provided to axially displace the driveelement 10 into the position of FIG. 5 and further into the position ofFIGS. 2 and 8 to drive the locking element 4 into respectively the firstand the second unlocked position, and in the opposite direction to drivethe locking element 4 into the locked position. The control element 35is arranged coaxially with the drive element 10 and encloses this driveelement 10, being rotatably supported in the housing 2 about the commonlongitudinal axis 8 of the locking element's bore 7 and the drivingelement's borehole 13 between an annular surface 36 of the housing 2that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 8 and an annular surface 37of the cover 1 that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis 8. The controlelement 35 is designed as a worm gear with outer teeth 38 that areengaged by a drive worm 40 affixed to the output shaft 39 of theelectric motor 34. This electric motor 34 may be a 12 VDC motor which isreversible by polarity reversal and which is stationary when no power isapplied to it.

[0036] The outer control element 35 cooperates with a cylindricalcross-pin 41 of the inner drive element 10, said pin resting in anaxially slidable manner within a cylindrical cross-borehole 42 of thedrive element 10. For that purpose the control element 35 is fitted withtwo helically running inside grooves 43, 44 and with two intermediatesurfaces 45, 46 located in a common plane extending perpendicular to theaxis of rotation 8 of the control element 35 and with two end faces 47,48 located in a common plane extending perpendicular to the axis ofrotation 8 of the control element 35, the intermediate surfaces 45, 46and the end faces 47, 48 being bounded by two sidewalls 49, 50 eachrunning in a specific direction.

[0037] The two inner grooves 43, 44 of the control element 35 run alongthe cylindrical borehole 51 of the control element 35 in which the driveelement 10 is received and then each merge via the intermediate surface45 and respectively the other intermediate surface 46 of the controlelement 35 into the end face 47 or the other end face 48 of the controlelement 35. A bevel 52 or respectively 53 of the control element 35 runsbetween each intermediate surface 45 or respectively 46 and anassociated end face 47 or respectively 48. The slope of the bevels 52,53 is the same as that of the grooves 43, 44.

[0038] The vertical first sidewall 49 bounding the intermediate surface45, the adjoining bevel 52 and the subsequent end face 47 of the groove43 of the control element 35, runs from the bottom 54 of this groove 43externally at a given distance 55 from and past the other groove 44 ofthe control element 35 and its intermediate surface 46 as far as to anend 56. The vertical second sidewall 50 bounding the intermediatesurface 46, the adjoining bevel 53 and the subsequent end face 48 of theother groove 44 of the control element 35 runs from the bottom 57 ofthis groove 44 outward to the end 56 of the first sidewall 49 and inadjoining manner as a continuation of the first sidewall 49 inward tothe borehole 51 of the control element 35 that receives the driveelement 10, in order to merge at the end 58 into the borehole 51.

[0039] A switch 59 is mounted on the cover 1 of the housing 2 and isactuated by the drive element 10 to generate a signal indicating thatthe locking element 4 is in the first unlocked position of FIG. 5, suchsignal being required to start the engine of the motor vehicle. Theswitch 59 is fitted with an axially displaceable switching pin 60passing through a borehole 61 of the cover 1 and cooperating with thecover-side end 62 of the drive element 10.

[0040] The above discussed motor-vehicle steering column lock operatesas follows:

[0041] When the locking element 4 is in the locked position, the driveelement 10 rests with its end 63 enclosing the locking element 4 at thebottom 64 of the borehole 13 of the housing 2 that receives the driveelement 10, with the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10, i.e. the twoends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 which projects from the cross-borehole42 of the drive element 10, extending next to the annular surface 36 ofthe housing 2 on which the control element 35 is resting.

[0042] In order to displace the locking element 4 out of the lockedposition and the drive element 10 out of the described axial positionaxially in the direction of the arrow 67 of FIGS. 2 and 8 into thesecond unlocked position respectively into the corresponding axialposition of FIGS. 2 and 8, the electric motor 34 is energized to rotatethe drive worm 40 in the direction of the arrow 68 and the controlelement 35 in the direction of the arrow 69 in FIGS. 1 and 7. As aresult, the two ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10projecting from the cross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 enter thetwo helical grooves 43, 44 of the control element 35 wherein they runtoward the intermediate surfaces 45, 46 of the grooves as shown in FIG.10 and then they slide along these intermediate surfaces 45, 46 andalong the adjoining bevels 52, 53 toward the end faces 47, 48 of thegrooves 43, 44, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0043] With regard to the rotational positions of the control element 35whereat the ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 rest against theintermediate surfaces 45, 46 (FIG. 11), the drive element 10 assumes anaxial position where the locking element 4 is in the first unlockedposition as shown in FIG. 5. When the ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41rest against the intermediate surfaces 45, 46, the locking element 4 isreliably precluded from moving back from the first unlocked positioninto the locked position. The drive element 10 actuates the switch 59 inthe course of that rotation of the control element 35 where the ends 65,66 of the cross-pin 41 rest against the bevels 52, 53. If there shouldbe power failure to the electric motor 34 after the switch 59 wasactuated, then the intermediate surfaces 45, 46 jointly with the ends65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 will preclude the locking element 4 frommoving back out of the first unlocked position into the locked position.As regards the rotational position of the control element 35 where thetransition of the ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 onto the end faces 47,48 occurs, the drive element 10 has reached that axial position wherethe locking element 4 is located at the second unlocked position. Thedrive element 10 substantially remains in this axial position even whenthe control element 35 continues rotating in the direction of the arrow69, whereby the locking element 4 substantially remains in the secondunlocked position.

[0044] In this case the two ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 projectingfrom the cross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 run on the end faces47, 48 of the control element 35 away from its bevels 52, 53 as shown inFIGS. 12 to 16. In the process, the lower cross-pin end 66 shown inFIGS. 10 to 16 comes to rest against the lower sidewall 50, namely atpoint 70 (FIG. 12) in order that, upon further rotation of the controlelement 35 in the direction of the arrow 69, it will be pushed by thatsegment of the second sidewall 50 which extends between the point 70 andthe end 58 of the second sidewall 50 into the cross-borehole 42 of thedrive element 10 (FIGS. 13, 14), as a result of which the uppercross-pin end 65 shown in FIGS. 10 to 16 shall correspondingly move outof the cross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 in order to run on theend face 47 of the groove 43 and to pass the other groove 44 of thecontrol element 35 and its intermediate surface 46, and then to slidealong the bevel 53 as well as the end face 48 of the other groove 44 andin turn to be pushed by means of the second sidewall 50 into thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 (FIGS. 15, 16), in the processof which the lower cross-pin end 66 will be displaced out of thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 onto the bevel 52 and the endface 47 of the groove 43. As long as the control element 35 is rotatingin the direction of the arrow 69, the cross-pin 41 of the drive element10 cannot leave the end faces 47, 48 and the bevels 52, 53 of thecontrol element 35, and consequently the drive element 10 remains in thecorresponding axial the positions. A disk spring 71 situated between thecover 1 of the housing 2 and cover-side end 62 of the drive element 10presses the cross-pin 41, i.e. its two ends 65, 66 projecting from thecross-bore hole 42 of the drive element 10, against the end faces 47, 48and against the bevels 52, 53 respectively. Accordingly, the lockingelement 4 remains in the second unlocked position shown in FIGS. 2 and 8substantially also when the cross-pin ends 65, 66 rest against thebevels 52, 53.

[0045] Only after the electric motor 34 starts rotating in the reversedirection and thereby both the drive worm 40 and the control element 35are driven in the opposite direction, the drive worm 40 in the directionof the arrow 72 and the control element 35 in the direction of the arrow73 in FIGS. 1 and 7, the locking element 4 is displaced out of thesecond unlocked position and the drive element 10 out of thecorresponding axial position of FIGS. 2 and 8, namely axially in thedirection of the arrow 74 in FIGS. 2 and 8 into the locked position andrespectively into the corresponding axial position. This process beginsas soon as the ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10projecting from the cross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 leave theend faces 47, 48 and respectively, the bevels 52, 53 of the controlelement 35, and the process ends as soon as the cross-pin ends 65, 66leave the grooves 43, 44 of the control element 35 at their ends locatedaway from the intermediate surfaces 45, 46, namely at the end 75 of thegroove 43 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 and the corresponding end of the othergroove 44. The first sidewall 49 and the second sidewall 50 at thecontrol element 35 assure that the cross-pin ends 65, 66 shall always bemoved back into the grooves 43, 44 via the intermediate surfaces 45, 46regardless of the rotational position relative to the cross-pin ends 65,66 from which the control element 35 is rotated in the direction of thearrow 73, even when the cross-pin 41 has been fully pushed by the secondsidewall 50 in the direction of the arrow 76 of FIG. 14 into thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 and then has been displaced inthe opposite direction according to the arrow 77 in FIG. 15 out of thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10.

[0046] Accordingly, the electric motor 34 need not stop immediately whenthe locking element 4 has reached the second unlocked position and whenthe drive element 10 has reached the corresponding axial position.Rather, the electric motor 34 may continue to run in the direction ofthe arrow 68 and may further rotate the control element 35 through anarbitrary angle in the direction of the arrow 69, the locking element 4moving at most into the first unlocked position and the drive element 10moving at most into the corresponding axial position. Moreover, after itwas shut down, the electric motor 34 might be restarted in order torotate the control element 35 in the direction of the arrow 69 and tocause a repeated actuation of the switch 59 by the drive element 10 inthe event the signal to be generated by the switch 59, which indicatesthat the locking element 4 assumes the first unlocked position, shouldbe needed again, for instance for checking purposes.

[0047] In FIGS. 1 through 3 the control element 35 is shown in therotational position relative to the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10where the transition of the cross-pin ends 65, 66 projecting from thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 from the bevels 52, 53 ontothe end faces 47, 48 of the grooves 43, 44 of the control element 35occurs when the control element 35 is further rotated from therotational position of FIG. 15 in the direction of the arrow 69.

[0048] In FIGS. 4 through 6 the control element 35 is in a rotationalposition relative to the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10 where thecross-pin ends 65, 66 projecting from the cross-borehole 42 of the driveelement 10 run from the intermediate surfaces 45, 46 of the grooves 43,44 into the grooves 43, 44 of the control element 35 when the controlelement 35 is rotated out of the rotational position of FIG. 1 in thedirection of the arrow 73 in order to displace the locking element 4 toits locked position.

[0049] In FIGS. 7 through 9, the control element 35 was rotated out ofthe rotational position of FIG. 16 in the direction of the arrow 73 inorder to displace the locking element 4 to its locked position, the ends65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10 projecting from thecross-borehole 42 of the drive element 10 having moved along the endfaces 47, 48 onto the bevels 52, 53 of the grooves 43, 44 of the controlelement 35.

[0050]FIG. 17 shows a control element 35 wherein the two end sides arearranged to match each other in order to cooperate in similar mannerwith the cross-pin 41 of the drive element 10. Thus, the two innergrooves 43, 44 of the control element 35 also at their ends 78, 79 whichare away from the intermediate surfaces 45, 46 and from the end faces47, 48 and which are associated with the locked position of the lockingelement 4, each merge onto a further intermediate surface 80, 81 andonto a further end face 82, 83 respectively. The two furtherintermediate surfaces 80, 81 are situated in the same plane extendingperpendicular to the axis of rotation 8 of the control element 35. Thetwo further end faces 82, 83 are situated in the same plane whichextends perpendicular to the axis of rotation 8 of the control element35. A further bevel 84 respectively 85 runs between each furtherintermediate surface 80 respectively 81 and the associated further endface 82 respectively 83. The slopes of the further bevels 84, 85 andthose of the grooves 43, 44 are identical.

[0051] The further intermediate surface 80, the adjoining further bevel84 and the subsequent further end face 82 of the groove 43 are boundedby a third sidewall 87 running from the bottom 54 of the groove 43outside at a given distance 86 past the other groove 44 and past thefurther intermediate surface 81 of groove 44. The further intermediatesurface 81, the adjoining further bevel 85 and the subsequent furtherend face 83 of the other groove 44 are bounded by a fourth sidewall 89running from the bottom 57 of said groove 44 outward to the end 88 ofthe third sidewall 87 and adjoiningly as a continuation of the thirdsidewall 87 inward to the borehole 51 of the control element 35 thatreceives the drive element 10, said fourth sidewall 89 merging at itsend 90 within the borehole 51. The vertical third sidewall 87 and thevertical fourth sidewall 89 run in such a manner that the cross-pin 41of the drive element 10 can always be moved back into the two grooves43, 44 of the control element 35 upon the transition, following therotation of the control element 35 in the direction 73 associated withmoving the locking element 4 into the locked position, onto the twofurther bevels 84, 85 when the control element 35 rotates in theopposite direction 69, even when the cross-pin 41 has been pushed by thefourth sidewall 89 fully into the cross-borehole 42 of the drive element10 and then out again in the opposite direction from the cross-borehole42.

[0052] The invention is not restricted to the motor-vehicle steeringcolumn lock described in relation to FIGS. 1 through 17. Instead, asregards motor-vehicle steering column locks of which the control elementcomprises—instead of the two inner grooves 43, 44 running in helicalmanner and cooperating with the two ends 65, 66 of the cross-pin 41 ofthe drive element 10—two inner bevels cooperating with two protrusionsof another kind of a drive element for a locking element which extendradially and are diametrically opposite relative to the controlelement's axis of rotation, or an inside thread which cooperates withonly one protrusion of a drive element for a locking-element driveprojecting radially relative to the axis of rotation of the controlelement and which inner thread merges at the end which is associatedwith the locking element's unlocked position into a planar end faceextending perpendicular to the axis of the rotation of the controlelement, each bevel or the inside thread may merge via an intermediatesurface into the end face of the bevel or of the inside thread in orderto actuate a switch. Moreover the invention also applies to thosemotor-vehicle steering column locks wherein the control elementcooperates not with a drive element for the locking element but directlywith the locking element itself.

[0053] The invention applies not only to locks locking motor-vehiclesteering columns but also to locks locking other movable elements.

1. Lock, particularly for locking a motor-vehicle steering column (3),comprising a locking element (4) displaceable to-and-fro between alocked and an unlocked position, and further comprising a controlelement (35) rotatable to-and-fro by a drive (34) to axially displace ineither direction the locking element or a drive element (10) cooperatingwith the locking element (4), said control element (35) enclosing thelocking element or its drive element (10), and (a) comprising two innerbevels or two helical inner grooves (43, 44) which cooperate with twoprotrusions (65, 66) of the locking element or its drive element (10)extending radially and situated mutually diametrically opposite the axisof rotation (8) of the control element (35) and which each merge at theend associated with the unlocked position of the locking element (4)into an end face (47, 48) located in a plane extending orthogonal to theaxis of rotation (8) of the control element (35), or (b) comprising aninside thread cooperating with a protrusion of the locking element orits drive element, said protrusion extending radially relative to thecontrol element's axis of rotation, and merging at the end associatedwith the unlocked position of the locking element into at an end facelocated in a plane perpendicular to the control element's axis ofrotation characterized in that each bevel or groove (43, 44) or theinside thread of the control element (35) merges into the end surface(47, 48) of the bevel or groove (43, 44) or of the inside thread via anintermediate surface (45, 46) located in a plane extending perpendicularto the axis of rotation (8) of the control element (35), wherein the twointermediate surfaces (45, 46) of the bevels or grooves (43, 44)cooperate with the two protrusions (65, 66) of the locking element orits drive element (10), or the intermediate surface of the inside threadcooperates with the protrusion of the locking element or its driveelement, when the locking element (4) assumes a first unlocked position,and wherein the two end faces (47, 48) of the bevels or grooves (43, 44)cooperate with the two protrusions (65, 66) of the locking element orits drive element (10) or the end face of the inside thread cooperateswith the protrusion of the locking element or its drive element when thelocking element (4) has been displaced beyond the first unlockedposition into a second unlocked position.
 2. Lock as claimed in claim 1,characterized by a switch (59) generating a signal indicating that thelocking element (4) has reached the first unlocked position, said switchbeing actuated by the locking element (4) or its drive element (10),while, during the rotation of the control element (35) in the direction(69) associated with moving the locking element (4) into the secondunlocked position, the two protrusions (65, 66) of the locking elementor its drive element (10) run from the two intermediate surfaces (45,46) to the two end faces (47, 48) of the bevels or the grooves (43, 44)of the control element (35) or the protrusion of the locking element orits drive element runs from the intermediate surface to the end face ofthe control element's inside thread.
 3. Lock as claimed in either ofclaims 1 and 2, characterized in that: (a) the two protrusions (65, 66)of the locking element or of its drive element (10) are constituted bythe ends of a cross-pin (41) axially displaceable in a cross-borehole(42) of the locking element or its drive element (10), (b) the twointermediate surfaces (45, 46) of the grooves (43, 44) of the controlelement (35) are situated in the same plane extending perpendicular tothe axis of rotation (8) of the control element (35) and in that the twoend faces (47, 48) of the grooves (43, 44) of the control element (35)are located in a common plane extending perpendicular to the axis ofrotation (8) of the control element (35), and (c) the intermediatesurface (45), the adjoining bevel (52) and the subsequent end face (47)of a groove (43) of the control element (35) are bounded by a firstsidewall (49) running from the bottom (54) of said groove (43)externally at a distance (55) from the other groove (44) of the controlelement (35) and past its intermediate surface (46), and theintermediate surface (46), the adjoining bevel (53) and the subsequentend face (48) of the other groove (44) of the control element (35) arebounded by a second sidewall (50) running from the bottom (57) of saidgroove (44) outward to the first sidewall (49) and then inward to thelocking element or its drive element (10), in such a manner that thecross-pin (41) of the locking element or its drive element (10) isalways moved back upon transition onto the two bevels (52, 53) caused bythe rotation of the control element (35) in the direction (69)associated with moving the locking element (4) into the second unlockedposition onto the two grooves (43, 44) of the control element (35) whenthe control element (35) is rotated in the opposite direction (73), evenwhen the cross-pin (41) has been pushed by the second sidewall (50)fully into the cross-borehole (42) of the locking element or its driveelement (10) and then out of the cross-borehole (42) in the oppositedirection (77).
 4. Lock as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that thegrooves (43, 44) of the control element (35) each merge at an end (78,79) associated with the locked position of the locking element (4) via afurther intermediate surface (80, 81) into a further end face (82, 83),wherein the two further intermediate surfaces (80, 81) of the grooves(43, 44) of the control element (35) are located in a common plane whichextends perpendicular to the axis of rotation (8) of the control element(35) and the two further end faces (82, 83) of the grooves (43, 44) ofthe control element (35) are located in a common plane which extendsperpendicular to the axis of rotation (8) of the control element (35),and wherein the further intermediate surface (80), the adjoining furtherbevel (84) and the subsequent further end face (82) of a groove (43) ofthe control element (35) are bounded by a third sidewall (87) runningfrom the bottom (54) of said groove (43) externally at a distance (86)from and past the other groove (44) of the control element (35) and itsfurther intermediate surface (81), and the further intermediate surface(81), the adjoining further bevel (85) and the subsequent further endface (83) of the other groove (44) of the control element (35) arebounded by a fourth sidewall (89) running from the bottom (57) of saidgroove (44) outward to the third sidewall (87) and then inward to thelocking element or its drive element (10), in such a way that thecross-pin (41) of the locking element or its drive element (10) isalways returned, after the transition onto the two further bevels (84,85) caused by the rotation of the control element (35) in the direction(73) associated with moving the locking element (4) into the lockedposition into the two grooves (43, 44) of the control element (35), whenthe control element (35) is rotated in the opposite direction (69), evenwhen the cross-pin (41) has been pushed by the fourth sidewall (89)fully into the cross-borehole (42) of the locking element or its driveelement (10) and then out of the cross-borehole (42) in the oppositedirection.